Andrew Bird is one serious songwriter, and not because his lyrics
deal with weighty subjects (frankly, they are sometimes difficult to
decipher). Serious because every arrangement and word is so carefully
considered within the context of other parts, it forces listeners to
pay careful attention or risk missing subtle details. Like how the
phrase “I see a sea anemone” morphs over the course of a song. The way
Bird breaks down phrases comes from his classical training. There’s a
two-disc version with an instrumental second disc if you want to listen
closely, but fans who enjoyed Armchair Apocrypha for its
whistling, violin plucking and whimsy will love this too.
This article appears in Apr 9-15, 2009.